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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. fine — all right
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. land — a country
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. land — ground
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. season — in sport
  18. race — a contest
  19. pound — a weight
  20. land — to come down
  21. cue — a signal
  22. race — humankind
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. race — the arms race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com